Recent Comments

Corley will be fun/aggrevating to watch, he's going to be a good one. Like having State stay strong....will be a sweeter victory when happens. Very happy with where UM is at with the WR class. I just think we just ran out of room.

Problem with statistics is that you can twist and turn and show what you want to show in so many ways by icluding/excluding variables in any category. Justify a loss or substatntiate a win all you want but bottom line... A win is a win and a loss is a loss! Just win!

I dont beieve the coaching staff gives a flying flip about redshirting Shane.

They care about winning and winning now. They know they have enough frosh talent, a transfer waiting and another couple top recruits coming in that can be developed. You really think they're worried about getting a player thats been here 4 years and can't sniff the field an extra year?

It's like I'm following a different team this year. Reading these pressers and tidbits from from players.... Kinda girlish about the thought of a team that will kick some ass again. So glad he mentioned Kalis. I gotta believe the kid has IT and just never was able to put it together. i think we see a truck this year out of him.

...Ohio State just wins and Urbs is one of the top 3 in the game. Give credit where credit is due. I'm hoping UM comes back big but a top coach is definately what it will take and then it will still be 10 years before anyone could say we're back....but I'm willing to wait.

Is Devin the worst QB in FBS? He is not a threat to run as he is way too hesitant, he WILL throw at least two picks and have a few more that could have been and half his completions are shit that look like like a freakin derp is throwing ...hell, you never know if he'll throw it 90mph at you from 5 yards or try to lop it over the moon for 5 yards. Our recievers must be amazed when they actully see a decent ball.

I know Shane gets hammered, but really? He has got to get PT.

...and I like how I get neg'd for expressing thoughts. But the final two games, Yeah, we don't have a chance. Maryland will put up 30+ and OSU 40+. Our soft secondary will get exposed again. We'll be lucky to break 20.

Is Nus a hired plant by Urban? Devin has another stellar outing, less than 50% with 2 picks and could have been worse....yet he's the best we have???? We'd be better off running a wildcat 99% of the time withour RB, slots and anuone.

Seriously...this is all over the national news, gaining momentum and you say you have not talked with the AD???? That is another lie or this combo of Dave and Brady is more flawed than can be described.

Drinking the Kool-Aid a bit too much dog? Calling out someone as wallowing in depair while totally ignoring the facts is....well, rediculous. This team is not very good. All the points raised are legit and Devin is NOT that good. Face it, We can want him to be the QB we want and need all day long, but the fact is he's not. He's shown it and shown it...and against inferior talent.

soon enough. Some of you are ready to explode. Don't read too much into anything the coaches throw out there. You think they're really going to tell you exactly what they're thinking? No! Not saying they'll lie or mislead us...but really, come on. I personally see nothing wrong with Green being at 240 or so...in fact, I think it's the perfect storm. I can already see him steam rollling not only DB's but DE's & LB's? How long has he been on campus? True freshman, classes, injured, new schemes....etc. Give this kid four more weeks and we'll all be declaring him the saviour. As far as burning a redshirt, burn them all. As long as we win and we keep recruiting as we have...no need to worry. Lock, load and fire. Go get em' DJ!!

Go get Strickland from Kent State! Ohio State made the mistake of passing him over last selection. UM is not going to get a National name and Strickland is a as close to that as they will get. He knows the region, excellent recuiting and knows how to develop pitchers.

Must just be me.... Defense played GREAT and yes, JT had a pick. He's made out to be the hero of the D on this day?! What?! I must have been watching a different game (and season). The only reason Jenkins was shut down was because our D-Line was in shellhats face ALL DAY. Most of the attempts and conversons to Jenks were very short patterns cause thats all they were gonna get. On most long balls JT was way out matched and never knew where the ball was or enough to turn around and find the ball. He's lucky if he's within 5 yards of any reciever when they catch it. On the other hand...Countess is usually right there breaking up the catch. I can't join the love affair with JT. I'm just hoping he doen't kill us the next two games. My pick for most overrated Wolverine. Sorry

...top 3 recruiting classes for years to come. We start bringing in top talent and then teaching that talent...whew!

What recruit (and parents/H.S. coaches) wouldn't want to be a part of this TEAM?! Coaches are very careful not to make anyone out to be a star but part of a unit. A true family of players/coaches. Love it!

Yes Brian is a fan and allowed to have his opinions. Yes Brian can use his blog to prop up or tear down whatever or whoever he wants...he just has to accept the responsibility that comes with the site as well. That's right...there is a responsibility here. Didn't read all the posts but the majority and have for some time. Unfortunately too many people are influenced by what they read and don't take the time to research and evaluate themselves..... blogs are easy.

This is the worst posting by Brian I have read....tempted to delete the site and not return as I'm sure many have considered. But it is a great site...just hoping it doesn't go the way it seems to be hading.

Give the man a chance. Hell, before he even set foot on campus as head coach he was doomed to fail by the majority on here...bullshit! ...and everyone ready to lynch DB...give it a rest. You have no idea what transpired. Guessing doesn't make it so

I for one am glad to see Hoke come in and think he will be a great hire. Go Blue

Amazing how so many want to blame DB. He got this pile handed to him. For those that think that ANY of the top UM officials are totally concerned about next years recruiting, or even the next 2 years recruiting had better think again. This is about the long term $$ and long term face that UM will have to wear.

Face it, UM made a bad decision in RR. In just 3 short years, he has dragged the program and univeristy into a huge hole. Set the worst kind of records possible, sanctions etc. Watch him on the sidelines...he is NOT a Michigan man. Hey, I wish it were different but it's not. He's probably a good guy and never really got a good chance...but hey, thr university will move on and so will the program. Book it...RR is gone.

youth on defense is the problem. Bullshit! We should have enough talent to do better. I'm not looking for stops all the time.....but damn...we suck on defense. I mean suck. We do everyhting poorly...everything. Throw in no kicking game, bad special teams....uh.... we are not a good team. Screw the youth excuse. put together a scheme that works....period!

I do like Mills a lot...but as a closer?? uhm...I don't think so. Left field is where he belongs...period.

Also - Coach is a classic....has a kid for two years so sees his performance and ability for 4 seasons (two college, two summer) and still fails to accept what the kid can and can't do. That's why most that watch this team just shake their head when certain decisions are made. Go figure.

I'm sure all the excuses he has given was discussed, debated, contemplated etc. ad nauseam prior to his verbal. With UM being a top academic school, great facilities, big travel budget, nice schedule. Not much to change your mind about. As far as money, 50% is not that big a scholly. At a northern school, your top 2-3 players should be getting 70-75% at least and there is usually at least one that is full ride based on players leaving early… If he goes to a “baseball” school, that amount will decrease heavily as he is not what one would call a top national recruit.. .. . it all comes down to coaching. Maloney talks a good game up front and the kids generally like him but if they did their homework and dug deep, well, decisions could change.

Correct and correct! I think you're looking at #1 & #2 here for next year. BB needs rest (don't forget, he did have tommy john surgery) and Sin needs some strength/weight. I think it's a pretty good idea for these two this year to keep close and throw only when needed. That said, it's always tough to keep sophomores away from the summer league the season before they are dratf eligle...but in this case, should be OK.

Next years squad should be ok, just need a few guys to step up like Gerbe & Crank did this year. Infield will be solid, the outfield will have questions as does the starting catcher spot. Pitching...well, I guess that's always the question huh.

I feel pretty confident matching up with anyone right now (now that Bischoff won't be throwing against us)...but that Indiana team just scares me. FA...you nailed it about how they will be out of pitching...however, I remember that last time they were out of pitching as well. One at a time I suppose. Go Blue!

you and EVERYone else. Good decisions are hard to come by on this coaching staff. I especially love the way he berates his players as a group and singles guys out when he has them in the outfield after games. Such an exceptional motivator he is.

almost did the boys in today. 4-5 players were not feeling good after eating fettucini alfredo....including Burgoon who closed the game. Ty was throwing up during the 7th & 9th innings yet still pitched? Way to "gut" it out Ty. Now, please rest.

Three triples....wow, and Coley's HR was to the deepest part of the park...over 410 ft. Great game guys...now go sweep 'em!

I tried to convince coach to take a serious look at Vitek when it was recruiting time for him. Coach didn't believe he fit the mold he was looking for... yeah; I wouldn't want a top 50 player either. I guess you know what they say about hindsight.

Another close one...but I like the results of this one MUCH better. Great pitching today. Nice job Brandon & Bobby! Cut down on the K's a bit today and defense good again. Not a series win (FA right again) but in a tie for first. Let's hope Sparty comes out strong tomorrow and at least takes 1 from Purdue creating a four way tie.

yeah....I thought we were in good shape entering the 9th. Tough to see the team take a loss in this one. The one guy I feel pretty "at ease" with in a close game and whoosh. Guess it happens to everyone. Boy, we need tomorrows game.

when I read that FA predicts a 1-2 loss. I'm thinking just the oppo. The guys know what's at hand. They know what they need to do. You will see a much more aggressive offense this weekend and coach will run, run and run. Pitching is coming back and the confidence is there. Oaks, Katz & Sinn will all have solid starts and Gerbe/Burgoon will continue to shut down. You will see a Minn team reminiscent of the early 2010 season who will struggle to put up numbers. This very well could be our first sweep... but a solid 2-1 series win.

Love the series win! Love the defense this weekend! Love Toth! OK...loved out. Michigan pitching came through...need the offense to step up and take the series against Minn. A sweep is needed in one of the last three series....why not the Gophers.

a good guy. I've followed many a post of his and he has a good baseball IQ. I will take the flip of his predicion though and go Michigan taking two. Wimmer will (cough) take Friday but we will take the next two from a pretty bad rest of staff. The Bucks have pretty much shown they are a one man show.

Another great analysis & posting by FA - Sir, how do you find the time? Thank you!

Although I really thought we would sweep this series (and still believe we should have), I'm happy with the 2-1 mark....and I guess I'll agree with you FA, on your assessment of being just average in the field. We just don't make those routine plays that can lock it down and help the pitching staff. Because let's face it....our pitching needs the help of the defense. Too many times the opposition scores right after an error and it goes south from there.

Here are my top five through the season so far: Oaks was the Oaks we needed this past weekend. He's been solid. Great job by Alan. Berset is just a great catcher, period. He knows the game, has great baseball IQ, works the field, clutch...and just a great kid. Biondi....wow, probably my favorite player on the team to watch and follow. The kid just knows how to play. If not for Berset...a freshman MVP? It's possible. LaMarre is plain solid. We needed him back and his leadership on the field and in the dugout is second to none. Burgoon back in the pen was the best move of the year. I don't know if anyone has scored on him since he's been coming in for relief? Heck, 5 wins and 6 saves is half the teams win total. Please coach...keep him there.

Runners up - Dufek is starting to stroke it and plays a great 1st. Kittle has been fantastic off the bench and Brosnahan has been a great Saturday game.

EDIT: Ultimate role player. A true teammate, a leader in the dugout, vocal, a motivator, one of the hardest workers on the team, keeps his brothers going and the best damn bullpen catcher around. Thank you Vinnie Sarafa.

We just need that little extra bit of consistency and 1 or 2 others to really step up and play to their potential to have a shot at the BT title and tourney.

Katz looked pretty good today. Had good control and his curve was unhittable. He really kept them off balance. Miller, boy, just don't know what's up with him. He looks good but they hit him pretty hard (they actually hit Katz pretty hard too...just right at people). Also, don't know why they didn't give Burgoon the save? Based on criteria..he gets it. Shouldn't matter if 3 or 13 pitches.

Offense was good and bad. We still K way too often. Good thing we hit 3HR's. Berset...what a beast! On a 15 game hitting streak. He stroked that ball to dead center. Can't forget Biondi - Best freshman I've seen...ever! And Ryan, well...he's Ryan. Man did we need him back. Defense was good, only 1 error and that was on the pitcher.

Sv
Saves. Earned when a pitcher finishes a game without having given up the lead after entering in a save situation (see SvOp, below, for definition)

SvOp
Save opportunities. When a pitcher 1) enters the game with a lead of three or fewer runs and pitches at least one inning, 2) enters the game with the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck, or 3) pitches three or more innings with a lead and is credited with a save by the official scorer

Not that it's a big deal but hey, it's a stat game and if a piece of candy is offered..take it. Heck, half the time all they get ia a dish full of steaming,, uhmm, yeah.

I'm not getting on the coaches, nor has anyone specifically in the stands. The question has just come up several times as to what the reason may be and that was one possibility. In fact, you ask the player whats up and they take full responsibility. I'm sure the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

Great effort by Brosnahan and Burgoon today. Brosnahan has a filthy change and plus breaking ball. Burgoon's FB was living at 93/94 and touched 96 a couple times. That will close out a lot of games.

Discussion in the stands for past couple of weeks... when do you start looking at the coaching of the pitchers? Yes, the players need to execute and hit spots but when an entire staff (ok, Brosnahan & Burgoon are doing well)continues to spiral down, kinda makes you wonder. Last year the same... pitching at Michigan just doesnt get better. Look at the guys you would think could be dominate - Woods, Miller Smith. All three year players with three years of Michigan coaching. Is it the pitch call? Mechanics going south? I mean last night we had multiple, a lot, many, (hell, I don't remember) batters at 0-2. Then we nibble and get the count back at 2-2- and 3-2 and then walk them or feed them. Come on! You can't have them any more on their heels than 0-2. Attack! Attack! Attack! You have 4 chances to make them hit YOUR best pitch!.. or better yet, puch them out.

Defense was better and not upset with hitting last night. We faced a tough pitcher. That's whata Friday night guy is supposed to do. Keep the game under 3 runs.

I definitely prefer Katz out of the pen and out of the pen only. We need a lefty to come in for 1-2 outs, 2 innings max and he would be it. Too many control issues. Building strength is one thing, control another. Let's face it...teams see him a second time and that low to mid 80's FB is getting flamed. Yes, only 7 innings of work, BUT in those 7 he had 8 BB, 4 HB, 1 WP and only 5 K's.

Miller looked much better on Wed (yes, only 1 inn) as he kept the ball down. The 1 hit they had was up in the zone. If he keeps the ball down...he can be dominating. I think he knows that and is working hard. He turns it around and we have a solid #3.

Gerbe is looking good with control being only real issue. He's been "lucky" to date as in 12 inn has given up 9 BB, 6 WP & 3 HB against only 7 K's. He does have a respectable .269 OBA.

Need Oaks to have fire tonight and show some emotion. Maybe he can get some from Brosnahan as he has plenty. Gotta like it when a pitcher yaps at the ump and opposing hitters...ha

FA... keep it coming, I love how you break things down. I'll settle for 2 of 3 against Purdue as I don't think they're as bad as many think. I totally agree with the knot in the gut if their pitching goes deep each game but I do think we get to them early and often. Our hitters seem to feel more comfortable at the Fish and should rack up some numbers on the score board. I predict Miller gets the Sunday start.

Rumor has it Katz has the ball. Look for a pith by committe today with Eric going as far as possible, then Miller then Woods. Clark is also availaible.

Talk in this area has been the Hoosiers think this game is a lock and were hoping for one of the other two gaame to take the series. i would like nothing more than to have our guys feel the fire and come out smokin against thier "ace".

That was truely a game of ups and downs. Ask me in the 5th inning if we had a shot and I'd be eating worms. Way too many errors, missed opportunities, a SHITTY field, obnoxiuos Hoosier fans etc. But hey...this team has shown some fight and I like it. Way to come back and take the BT opener. Game is slated for 2pm today. Let's take #2. Go Blue!

Most in attendance in would say many of those walks should/could have been K's. Although Burgoon had 3 walks...his control was actually pretty good. That ump tonight..well, he just wasn't consistent, we'll leave it at that. Miller not as bad as stats show either, he may be pushing a bit lately. I would like to see him relax and just throw...he can be a beast. Just one of those box scores that don't tell the "whole" story. Good point on short rest... as Burgoon threw 5 innings, Miller 3 in same game on Saturday. Makes me wonder who the Sunday starter will be?

Eastern is not a bad team...good win tonight.

EDIT: read somewhere that Katz will be the Sunday starter this weekend. I hope he's ready.

..for all the time put in to give us some news. Greatly appreciated! Another nice weekend, let's hope it continues into conference play. I'll disagree a little with your potential line up for next weekend. I think they keep Burgoon in the pen and use him as needed, Friday, Saturday in close games.. or Sunday when previous games were pretty much a lock(like this weekend). With Sinnery, Woods & Burgoon in the pen ...we have a lot of options (Gerbe has looked good of late as well). I think the plan would be to capture 2 of 3, do everything possible to win Fri & Sat and let Sunday play itself out. Yeah, Miller has struggled a little but he's a competitor and will bring it about. Matt has too much potential to not start him....but we'll see.

Love the offense we've been seeing! Will be very interesting to see how LaMarre coming back effects the output. Go Blue!

Oaks, Brosnahan and Miller as starters with Sinnery, Woods and Burgoon out of the pen.... That could just work. The more I think about it, that combo is pretty tight. All starters should be able to go 6 plus and all relievers are capable of extended innings as well. Throw in Gerbe who can contribute and the pitching staff should be very tough. We just need to figure it out and get in a groove. Not having any rhythm and not having the players understand what role they play is never a good thing. Hope coach has a plan and starts using it this weekend.

Berset is a wall and love seeing him hit from the left side. Boy, where do you hit him when Ryan comes back? He's been doing a fantastic job in the 3 hole. Coley has it going and hopefully keeps it going. Dennis seems to have picked up some confidence and is seeing the ball much better. I'm liking less and less K's. Defense has been great! Go Blue!

please don't come back too soon. We need Ryan at full strength when he returns. Coming back too soon usually only lengthens the problem and will not help anyone. For sure we shouldn't need him against IPFW and maybe not even Indiana. May be best to wait until the Purdue series. We witnessed what happen last year when Burgoon came back too soon.... never really came back.

Heard coach on radio this morning. Oaks is Friday night guy (we knew that) and Brosnahan is Saturday guy (didn’t know that). He wants Burgoon as closer but if doesn’t throw Fri or Sat will start Sunday. Think Miller should have the start.....hope coach isn't giving up on him. Hmmm

as it turned out to be a stat padding blow out two days. Nothing wrong with that as the team needed the wins and nothing wrong with helping the stat book.

Games like the last are great for guys that should be getting plate time but bad for the pitching staff. Disappointing that Wood got zero time on the mound and Burgoon only 1 inning. We need those two sharp...and the exhibition game is NOT the way to do it. imo

I would have hoped that by this time we would have identified a solid 1-2-3 heading into conference play. Maybe coach has and no one knows or maybe he is still searching himself. I think that the home opener series should mirror and be a preview of opening week in conference...I hope. My thoughts...

Fri - Oaks (No brainer here. The best we have and a work horse. Will go 7 or 8 easy.)
Sat - Burgoon (Although a couple "ehh" games, still looks like the Sat guy with best control and giving opportunity to win. The team needs him as a starter, not closer.)
Sun - Miller (Same as Burgoon, couple of "Oh shits" but can be dominate and should give best chance going late in game)
Sat/Sun is switchable but should be a lock between them.

Sinnery - Best set up we have right now. Need him for a 6-7-8 run if needed on weekends.
Brosnahan - The best left arm out of the pen and would use as set up like Sin.
Wood - Closer. With Burgoon as starter...a solid choice. He can and will get it done.
Gerbe - Not a bad choice out of pen when need to save an arm or so. He's good for 1 or 2 but usually no further.

I personally don't see Katz returning. Wish as we may, I think he will throw mid-weeks only. Call it what you will but not sure what happened there.

Smith should be the mid-week starter and if can return to form (control) he may break into an appearance during the weekends.

The rest - will be fighting for mound time during mid-week games. Unfortunately, there is not enough time or games before conference to "see what they got". They had a couple shots and it was what it was.

What's coach thinking? Did he tip his hand this weekend? - - he puts Burgoon at the back end as closer again. But then who starts? He may be looking at Brosnahan and then moving Wood to set up. All plausible and could work but I like a lefty out of the pen myself. Not as if we've lost any games on the back end so far...we haven't had but maybe 2 chances at a save?

Only 3 K's today and we hit with runners in scoring position. Nice job. That's how you win even when getting out hit for the game. Crank and Toth hit great today.

Not sure why Miller is getting hit so hard the last few games...we need him to go further than his last three starts. 3 inn - 10 hits, 4.2 inn-9 hits and 4.2 inn 7 hits. This puts the pen in a very bad position. I'm thinking he'll be just fine as he'll find a tweak that will make all the difference. I think we've had to burn up Sin in each of those games? Sin gave up 7 hits today in 3 inn as well? Burgoon did look very strong as his FB was sitting at 92-94 today...as FA questions, is he full time closer or does the lack of starters push him up front? Hell...if anyone knows that one, play the lottery as the players have no clue as to what role is whos (except Oaks).

I'll try to behave but it's tough. 1st game on Sat....I really don't even know what to say or where to begin, so I won't. {tongue bleeding}

Don't really understand why Oaks didn't go against CCU Today(Sat)? Totally messed up the bull pen and we have like zero arms ready for relief on Sunday. Hope Oaks & Burgoon are OK. Strange move by coach...but then again

Great move to start Travis... like it! Think the move move to pull him was WAY too early. Heck, he had a 15 to zero lead. Give the kid a break and let him work out of a tight spot. He obviously couldn't have done any worse than what happened....and we would have saved some arms in the pen.

I like the bats coming alive in the first game but don't like the 14 hits we gave up. Also don't like we had to use Sin for 4 innings the 1st game. He may be done for the weekend, but hey..we started with a win.

Probably Brosnahan as 1st game starter on Sat and will be interesting to see who comes out of the pen. I'm hoping Smith can break out today and show what he's capable of. If our bats stay hot, I like the chances of 3 of 4 this weekend with an outside shot at a sweep. Coastal is a tough team and our starters will have to go deep and hold to less than 2/3 runs.

FA predicts a FGCU win. Don’t give up faith FA…of course the team hasn’t really given you another option based on record year to date, however…..

I have seen the great Maize & Blue in action this year (this will be the first game not at the field - sucks) and I still hold out high hopes. Stats are what they are but I firmly believe this team will kick in another gear soon. I’m hoping it’s today with a great deal of momentum going into the next two weekends.

I kind of like Coley in left and adding another bat in the line-up but not against Krantz either (as long as Krantz produces offensively). Also would like to see Mills get some action. He may not have the strongest arm in left but I think his bat would be the best option and he is a good athlete & outfielder.

On the mound think we see Brosnahan go as long as he can (maybe 4-5) then see Smith, Ballantine, Clark & Wood. Smith had a rough last outing but he’s too strong to give up on and he'll turn it around soon. Ballantine and Clark need a few more innings to get accustomed to college expectations and I still like Wood as the set-up or closer. You’ll see the bats start to come out today. I think we pull this one out 7-3. Go Blue!

Pitching again very good. 3 hits allowed by Burgoon (2 handle shot flairs) and another outstanding effort by Sinnery....ZERO hits. Burgoon with 7 K's, Sinnery 5 K's. ZERO walks.... that's good pitching. A lot more enthusiasm from the bench. Pitch call was very good. We looked silly on the curve tonight...watched the FB go by again and had to swing at the curve but overall much better effort. Concern - no opposing pitcher threw faster than 87mph....therefore the hits. It seems that's when we struggle, when opposing pitchers throw harder than 88mph. Defense was great. Dufek is a machine at scooping balls out of the dirt at first. Berset is the hardest working player on the field and has got to be one of the best defensive players around.

Challenge summary - Although a 1-2 record, our pitching was the best in the tourney. We only gave up 6 runs and we by far had the toughest schedule. The hits will come and I think we are looking very good.

the zone was larger than most so far this year but called consistent on both sides. All you can ask for. I agree, the Louisville hitters AND pitchers adjusted very nice. They were painting the corners and attacking on 0-2, 1-2 counts & getting the calls. We kept throwing in the dirt? Athough the pitch selection was 100% better in this game... we still need to read the ump better and attack when ahead in the count. Same at the plate...we just flat out watched way too many FB go by....not just the low ones. Good call FA.

Oaks threw an excellent 7 and Sinner 2 innings. 6 hits given up tonight with only 2 runs. Can't ask for any more out of your pitching. Our offense REALLY needs to step up. Only 2 hits again tonight. That makes 6 hits in three games (i don't count the last inning of the blowout loss against TT). Would like to see us more aggressive. We did get a few good swings in starting the 7th innings tonight...but that's too late. HAd a great chance with bases loaded and one out but Dufek hit into an untimely double play to end the rally. Boy, we need a 3 hole hitter.

One error on the books (should have been 3) but nothing that cost a run. Very good game... we just need run support. Krantz was in LF and looked pretty good. He made a nice play and hit the ball hard. If it was a 3 game series agaisnt the #15 ranked team.... I like our chances. We'll be OK

says the reason Burgoon is not starting against Louisville is coach REALLY wants to win 2 of 3 this weekend and REALLY wants an opening win against Louisville. He thinks that Oaks starting and Burgoon off the bench, last (3-4 inn) is the teams best chance. If by chance Burgoon isn't needed, he will start game 3. Probably not a bad stategy but not sure what that means... Burgoon back in relief role? Only time will tell. I only wish we had an outfielder in left and not Stephens. Again. not a slam on Garret, more like a ctriticism on obvious bad recruiting and foresight with not having more than 3 outfielders. Go Blue!... by the way... if you're not down here, man it feels good. Ha

1) BigTen screws UM again in the first week. Coley gets National recognition yet not good enough to at least garner Co-player of the week? Yeah, right. Great job Coley!!
2) Losing LaMarre is incredibly huge. Big observation huh. So are we out of outfielders? Not sure why we play our back-up first baseman in left. I like Stephens, in fact he’s probably our best defensive 1B …but he’s not an outfielder. I think we all saw that. Guess we don’t recruit outfielders that can hit, don’t know.
3) Pitching not a big concern although does need some fine tuning. A lot of hit batters and walks. Oaks, Sinnery, Miller & Clark looked good and Burgoon was much better than stats show. Brosnahan also did a very nice job. Time outs only mess a pitcher up... anytime coach calls TO and heads to the mound your concentration is lost and only puts more in your head that doesn't need to be there. Oh well.
4) We stand way off the plate compared to the other teams this weekend. Good or bad?.. not sure but I think it showed the last 2 games when they painted the outside corner, we couldn’t reach the ball, we could only stick the bat out and hit soft grounders and pop-ups. Conversely, Tech was on top of the plate and very aggressive. We also hit at least 5 of their batters.... not a bad approach at the plate if you ask me.
5) The scouts were "amused" at the pitch selection. They were taking bets at what pitch was coming next when our pitchers had a 0-2 count. They were right about...let’s say almost always. (fastball...zone 8) Would like to see our top starters be able to attack a hitter when they are on their heels with a 0-2 count. We had many, many batters at 0-2 and then nibbled until the count was back in favor of the hitter. Makes no sense to me especially when trying to get a pitcher to go deep in a game. I personally would like to see Berset call a lot of the game. A senior captain who also played for a national team…I think he knows the game.
6) We're fast... I like that coach is running. Good sign
7) Defense was average. A few good plays and a few errors. We'll need to improve to contend but not a weak spot.

Overall – disappointing start with the way the weekend ended but no need to throw the towel in. As someone else said…this weekend will tell a lot more. Better pitch selection; more aggressive at the plate…we’ll be OK.

the rotation of Burgoon, Oaks & Miller is set until (A). one of them REALLY struggles or (B). someone REALLY shows some nasty stuff in their outing. Katz will more than likely throw from the pen this year unless (A) happens. Dufek probably won't see action until mid-season, if then, based on surgery. Brosnahan is the lefty coaches are most up on at this point. Woods will be the closer until and only if he show's he can't get it done (unlikely). Smith has looked very good the latter part of training and hopefully can keep it going. Sinnery is looking very good as well. Summary - our weekends should be solid. It will be interesting to see who coach throws mid-week or on the 4 game weekends. I see this weekend is even a TBA for Sunday. Really?....you don't know? come on coach.

Nice recap of why last year didn't please anyone. Very accurate and confirms my reasoning of just a very unfortunate year all the way around.

Looking forward to your thoughts on the 2010 team. Here's a couple of mine'

1. Defense will improve dramatically. 3rd base & LF the 2 question marks as left has a true freshman. I do think Lorenz will settle in at 3rd and LF is probably the one spot where a frosh can do the least harm. Defense alone will add 3-5 wins this year.
2. U of M will lead the Big Ten in pitching again this year. Burgoons slider has been coming in at 85-86 range...with 92-93 FB and developed a nice change in the off season. Oaks shoves it at 93-94 and has the endurance needed to get to late innings. Brosnahan will show he is a very crafty lefty that spots well. If Miller stays consistent...he may be the best of the bunch. Woods is looking just filthy and should be a very capable closer.
3. Speed....we have a fair amount his year, not an abundance, but enough to keep the other pitchers attention and put some pressure on.
4. We're not a young team! Yes we have 2 frosh starting but we have a lot of experience on the field and in the pen.
5. Did I say we're not young?
6. My one concern... Offense. We will improve from last year (geez, how could you not) but I just don’t know what to expect on the K's again. Decent power, probably not as good as 2008's 75 HR's but better than the 55 from last year...maybe mid 60's. We can not leave as many on the bases as we did last year.

All in all... I really do think we will be in the top 3 this year with a legit chance at the title. 5 more days.... Go Blue!

I think FA was talking about Urban & Stephens switching places in the batting order...not positions. You're 100% right. Urbs is way too fast and valuable to take out of the OF. Even with a frosh.... we should have the best OF crew in the BigTen.

Other Chris.... yes, I rememebr too many times where the errors just killed us. Talking with caoch this fall and watching them play, I do think this will be a very solid defensive unit. Dennis wil be a stud at SS. He is very smooth with great range. He's a freshman so I do expect a few mistakes but think he'll keep to a minimum. Lorenz at 3rd will be fine, he's had a year and summer behind him and has a cannon arm. The unproven will be Biondi in LF. He's very fast but not sure how sticky his glove is or how strong of an arm he has.

#1. I just hope they keep a couple freshman arms in the active roster to gain some experience. This team may lose 4 to 5 pitchers after this season and redshirting all frosh pitchers would hurt them. They need to get young arms some experience.

#4. Kittle is very capable and waiting... but you're 100% correct.

#6. I feel you're right on...I just believe Miller is too valuable to use as set-up and not get max innings from him. Although Miller-Woods would be lights out.

Once agian Kendall just glances over past rosters and makes "educated" guesses. He obviously didn't talk with any coach or do much, if any, research of the players this past summer. Anyone could have written his 5 keys for Michigan and been just as shallow.

Just a few of my thoughts...

Motivation - is a true wait and see. I hear they are but thought they were last year as well. Coaching plays a BIG role in this and I hope they aren't "over coached" this year. Meaning.. put the athletes on the field and let them play! Micro-managing a ball club doesn't work. Let pitchers/catchers call at least half a game, stop running the team out of innings, quit making unnecessary mound visits, Make a starting rotation and STICK TO IT, etc.

Starting pitching - won't add much here except for my thought on the BT weekend rotation in no particular order (although I think I know where they will be..ha). Miller, Burgoon & Oaks. Katzman is the wildcard only because of being a lefty and it is nice to have a lefty in the weekend rotation. As stated above...it will be critical to identify your rotation and let them go. Coach needs to stop moving them around like pawns on a board.... they lose faith, confidence and motivation. Midweek starters should be Sinnery and undetermined Frosh.

Bullpen - Depending on the weekend rotation; who ever is left out.. Miller, Burgoon, Oaks or Katz will will be the first choice out of the pen during weekend games. Smith, Brosnahan & Gerbe will also make up the long relief set-up role with Dufek and Wood providing closer duty. Wild card will be DeCarlo, Broder and Freshmen McAnallen & Ballantine.

My overall thought on our pitching - I think most will be surprised! We have 4 legit weekend starters. If we keep the K to BB ratio where it needs to be...yahtzee!

Hitting - FA, you hit it. Berset will be key as well as the two frosh, Dennis and Biondi. I think we'll be very solid all around.

This is the year to take the title back. Everyone is focused on OSU and Minn... we will be back.

FA....Need something to chew on. Have you been able to track down any coach, player, manager, strength coach, academic advisor, trainer, announcer, girlfriend (I think you get my meaning) to get some local input on the team and thoughts on next year? It's been REAL quite. Also, they normally announce team captains during fall ball...did I miss that?

Hope all players are healthy and getting ready for another BigTen title and post season run. Buckeyes getting all the love in the media...ha. Hope we take them down like a lucha libre.

... in 2009. I know many are counting the Wolverines out this year, mainly because of the season we had in '09. In retrospect, we did have the talent...we just underachieved. Easy to say yeah, but if it could have gone wrong in '09...it did. Cislo, our starting 2B & leadoff played the entire season injured and just flat out couldn't finish. Berset, the starting catcher missed over 25 games, our closer Burgoon, dislocated his throwing shoulder prior to conference games and never really came back. Add in the fact that LaMarre, Urban and Dufek all played injured as well.... our horses just weren't ready to compete. The overall talent level of our pitching staff is better than any other BT team. I really believe that (you realize we had the best ERA in the league last year...right?). We just couldn't score when we needed to or hold a few innings when we had too. Underachievement at its worst...rights along side the injuries. Heck, a 35-20 record when we just couldn't bring it together is pretty good.

I see 2010 season looking very good. Tough schedule, no doubt! Our 4 junior pitchers - Burgoon, Miller, Smith & Wood will be very tough. Add in seniors Katzman & Oaks, Sophs Sinnery and Brosnahan and a freshman that has looked excellent, Ballantine.... we will have some depth. Our outfield will be sick. We have speed, speed & speed. Veteran catcher, top ranked freshman SS, Toth locking down 2B, Dufek at 1B... we will be there!

K.Rogers is no one to pay attention to anyway. I've read him for many years and yet to be impressed. He tends to echo the thoughts of his posters on Rival. I guess he wants to keep readership rather than having a legit opinion.

As far as I see it, the Wolverine summer is looking pretty good. I like the way the pitching has shaped up.. I do wish Travis Smith had performed better (understatement). Miller, Wood, Brosnahan, Burgoon and Dufek have looked very, very good. Sinnery is hard to judge, my guess is good and then a tough inning. He just gives up too many HR's. Oaks, well...I don't see anything but middle relief. Let's face it..out of all starting pitchers in Florida, he was 15th out of 15th. Not what I would call encouraging. Katzman had a stress fracture and was shut down...let's hope he'll be back strong next year.

With Dufek playing the field, he'll be available only as spot closer so they'll need another. I don't think it will be Burgoon. My guess is Woods in a closer role in 2010 as he developed a nasty split finger and has been spot on in accuracy. With limited starters, I see Burgoon in a starting position with a solid Saturday spot. The Friday night spot will be up for grabs by Miller, Katz, Woods and Smith(hoping)... in that order. The others will battle for Sunday. Sinnery & Brosnahan mid-week starts and spot relief. I think we look pretty solid. Bring in the "fantastic" freshman class coach keeps talking about and we should have a shot at the title.

On the offensive side...Berset looked very good, LaMarre will take a run for the top position player, Dufek has power but needs to cut down on K's and DP's. Mills looked good at the plate with limited appearances and Stephens has stepped up his game. Oaks again looks to be on the outside.

Let's hope that a wider reader base of baseball coverage translates into greater fan support(butts in the seats)come baseball season. FA has always done a great job at Varsity Blue... looking forward to reading more from him and others here. Go Blue!